AU: A Tale of Two Sizes; size shifter Stan Baker AU
Word Count; 1,880
Notes: had a bit of a rough patch, and needed something low stakes to get me through my writing slump. So have some rare Levi Baker time.
~~~
Once he was sure no students or teachers were looking, Levi Baker ducked into the nearest supply closet.
He wasn't usually one to sneak around and hide. Most rightly assumed he wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone be up to anything suspicious. Plenty of other boys were like that at fifteen, but Levi did pretty well at flying under the radar.
Even so, he felt his heart beating harder in his chest when he closed the door behind him. One wrong move, and he wouldn't be the only one in trouble.
“Ok, coast is clear,” he whispered as he blindly pawed around in the dark for a light. He found a string dangling in the center of the closet and gave it a gentle tug, washing the tiny space in the dim, flickering light of a dying bulb on the ceiling. Just enough to see, and that was all Levi needed.
More delicately than he'd done anything in his life, he let his hand slide into his trouser pocket. He went slow, knowing what sat at the bottom and dreading the thought of being too rough. Fingertips brushed against something that twitched, and Levi gave a wince as he scooped it into a loose fist and held it up near his eyes.
Unfurling his fingers revealed a tiny boy, wearing a school uniform identical to his.
“Stan? Y’okay?” Levi frowned in concern as he watched his now quite little brother uncurl from a ball to get his bearings.
It was still fairly new for everyone, this bizarre phenomenon of the youngest in their family shrinking without warning. One minute things could be going on as normal, and the next Stan would be three inches tall. They still hadn't found any patterns to it, nor had they worked out a way to stop it from happening. There wasn't exactly a guide book for this sort of thing, or anyone that could help with it. If they brought it up to the wrong person, Stan could end up a government experiment, never to be seen again! The last thing his brothers wanted was to put him at risk like that.
Until they could figure out a way for Stan to better control his shrinking, they thought it best that he stick with one of his brothers in public, when possible. Levi was more than happy to keep him company between classes since they attended the same school. That way if he ended up shrinking, at least he wouldn't be alone and stuck somewhere dangerous.
Today it finally happened, and Levi acted as quickly as he could to get Stan out of sight without raising suspicion.
Now that Stan was safe, it hit Levi all at once that he was holding his thirteen-year-old brother in one hand. He barely weighed anything and just looked so tiny sitting there in his palm. The barely-functional light was just enough for Levi to notice his little chest going up and down a bit too quickly, and that drew attention to the way he could faintly feel Stan trembling.
“Shit, I… Did I pick you up wrong?” Levi fussed. Every other time he'd handled Stan when he was so small (and that still wasn't often) they were at home where things were calm and safe and the kid had a choice in the matter. This wasn't like that at all.
Stan managed to shake his head and wave a hand. “I-I’m alright,” he insisted, though his voice was so quiet that Levi just barely heard him. “Just…f-fast. I can't… C-can you put me down?”
“Oh. Y-yeah, ‘course.” Cupping his free hand underneath the one holding Stan for support, Levi slowly shuffled closer to one of the supply shelves. He let his hands flatten on one shelf near chest level.
Levi tried not to take it to heart when Stan scrambled to get to solid ground and all but jumped behind a can of cleaning spray. Though having Stan out of sight sent another shock of worry through him, he couldn't bring himself to ask the poor kid to come out. It was hard to be sure of what the world looked like from such a perspective, but Levi's imagination certainly gave him a few ideas.
Normal objects that could be held in a hand would become immovable. Even a spray can dwarfed Stan, to the point that he completely vanished from Levi's view behind one. He reckoned that rooms, even the cramped broom closet, must seem impossibly cavernous. And people…they'd be loud, heavy, fast, and… Levi couldn't think of a better word than dangerous.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I'll be more careful, I promise. Didn't mean to scare ya–,”
“N-no,” Stan's little voice cut through Levi's soft whisper. He still made no move to come out of hiding, but his voice did sound a bit stronger. “It's fine, really. I just…need a minute.”
Levi let out a breath he realized he'd been holding. “Yeah. Okay. Take your time.”
Rubbing at the back of his neck, he turned to lean his back against the one bare wall of the closet. He really wasn't used to feeling like he had so much power over anyone in any given situation, and with his baby brother he couldn't help worrying even more. He could at least be reassured that he wasn't making anything actively worse, and wait this out.
He glanced at his watch for another distraction. Classes were starting soon, and in a few more minutes, they would officially be tardy.
“You don't have to stay,” Stan piped up, drawing Levi’s attention back to the shelf immediately. Even in the shadows of the dimly lit shelf, Stan's bright red hair stood out as he leaned just far enough to be seen around the can. “I dunno when I'll be back to normal, and I don't wanna make you late.”
Not wanting Stan to work himself up about it, Levi clicked his tongue and shrugged it off. “They can live without me for one class,” he said with a soft smile. He and Stan hardly had glowing marks, but their educations wouldn't be tarnished by a tardy or two. “And I'm not about to leave you all alone.”
Stan went quiet again, and Levi couldn't help leaning in the slightest bit to try and get a better look. “Anything I can do to help?”
Levi was almost certain he saw Stan's little shoulders bob up and down in a shrug. Couldn't blame him; even Stan was clueless as to how exactly it all worked.
Chewing his lip, Levi let his gaze wander as he pondered how it had been every other time they'd helped Stan grow back. He and his brothers did their best to be supportive, but figuring out anything this mysterious ability of Stan's was no easy task. Sometimes it seemed random, or based on emotion. Other times, it seemed that sheer concentration could break through and give Stan at least a little control. None of it was consistent, and it was hard to know what would work best on a given day.
His arms crossed tightly in discomfort as Levi began to wonder if he was making things worse for Stan just by being there. Maybe Stan was trying to express that when he suggested Levi go on without him. Getting to the closet was a bit of a blur in his memory, focused as he was on getting Stan to safety. What if the whole experience shook him up more than he let on, and–?
“I'm all right,” Stan's voice cut through Levi's thoughts. He sounded much closer than before, and when Levi looked back he found his teeny little brother standing about a foot away. No longer hiding behind anything, plainly in view just near the edge of the shelf. “Really.
Levi blinked, then gave a sigh that let his tense shoulders slump. “What, did you get telepathic, too?”
He could just make out a sheepish smile as Stan said, “Nah, it's just…easier to read faces when they're so big.”
That thought was a bit sobering, and Levi didn't quite know how to take it. The whole thing was just so bizarre.
“You're…really not scared of me being big?” The question slipped out before Levi could think to stop it. He'd wondered things along the same line before, but thought it would be weird to ask.
Second-youngest among five brothers was a slightly awkward place to be at times. He was a little brother to most of them, but was still a big brother to Stan. Even though it had been that way all of Stan's life, sometimes it felt like Levi was still learning how to be a big brother to him.
And now the big part was very literal in cases like this.
Rather than answer, Stan stared at Levi for a moment…and then suddenly took a running start and leapt off of the shelf with a cry of, “Think fast!”
Levi's arms instantly unfolded and shot out to catch Stan in cupped hands. The kid landed harmlessly in his grasp, giggling through the shot of adrenaline that had run through them both.
“You're a right nutter, y'know that,” Levi hissed.
“Basically, yeah,” Stan smirked as he got comfortable in the dip of Levi's palm.
Levi couldn't completely hide a grin even as he tried to scold his tiny brother, and he curled in his thumb to playfully (and very gently) nudge Stan's stomach. Just as easily as Stan could apparently read him, he knew what Stan was trying to do here. Despite the scare, Levi's posture was much looser now, and he at least had a better feeling about where he stood with his shrunken brother.
Things would be okay, and Levi could see that Stan knew that as he looked over his teeny features.
They hardly noticed Stan was growing until he was suddenly the size of Levi's hand rather than smaller than a finger. Stan gave a jolt in surprise, and Levi quickly adjusted his grip to accommodate the added height and weight.
“It's okay,” Levi whispered when he noticed Stan's growing slow down. It didn't stop completely, as Levi could still faintly feel Stan expanding in his hands. One of the few things the Bakers had observed at home was that he could really only stay one size or another, and never fully stop in the middle. Now that the process had started, they just had to let it run its course. “Here, let's getcha down.”
Smoothly as he could manage, Levi crouched down and let Stan hop off of his hands onto the floor. Then he quickly straightened and flattened himself as much as he could to the bare wall, giving Stan as much room as possible.
A minute later, Stan was back to his usual height, and the closet was now quite cramped.
By some miracle, the hall was still empty when they snuck out, and they wordlessly parted ways to hurry to their respective classes. Levi spent his class watching the clock to make sure he was ready to go check on Stan at the end of the period, and wondering how best to bring the whole thing up to the others without making them worry too much.
summary: levi finally tells adam why kent and hadley ask about his knee, and adam starts asking about it every night and day
notes: i kept forgetting to write this so i changed my schedule
“i’m worried about you, let me worry.”
october 2, 2024
Columbus, ohio
————
he seemed to be limping, adam noticed. the two had been dating about two months, and adam had noticed that kent and hadley always ask about his knee.
there has to be someone wrong with him, adam didn’t know how to ask. maybe it was a simple “what’s wrong with your leg?” or an even move complex “hey, can we talk about why you’re limping and not putting your leg down half the time?”
whichever it was he’d have to pick one and ask him. but he didn’t wanna overstep, could he even over step by being worried?
what if something seriously wrong and he needed surgery or something. adam let out a loud sigh, which caught the attention of his boyfriend.
“what’s wrong?” levi lifted his head from his textbook, he was sitting on adam’s couch, legs sprayed out and just reading ahead for his c classes knowing he’d be missing tomorrow to have his leg looked at, again.
which adam didn’t know, he just told him he had a doctors appointment. “nothing, baby.” adam kissed his head.
adam was sitting next to him, Levi’s back on his shoulder, it was a comfortable position that they’ve laid in before.
levi nodded. not believing him at all. he knew something was up. and adam was lying to him. “tell me the truth.” levi moved around, facing adam now.
“okay. well, i have a question.” adam said, “okay… ask away.” he said. adam sighed, looking up at levi.
“you.. i’ve noticed that you’ve been limping. and i’m worried about you… so i wanted to ask why you’ve been limping and why kj and hads always ask about your knee..” adam said, taking levi’s hand in his.
levi squeezed adam’s hand. “it’s nothing to worry about, trust me.” “can you just tell me what’s wrong?” adam asked.
levi sighed in returns “listen, when i was like 10, i started having trouble walking. my mom, she took me to the doctor and they said there was nothing they could do and i’d grow out of it. which i did, but it comes back sometimes and i have trouble walking, so that’s why im going to the doctor tomorrow and why im limping.” levi explained.
“levi that’s terrible. there’s nothing you can do?” adam asked, hugging into levi. “i’m used to it, i’m gonna get a new brace for my leg that’s why i’m going to the doctor.” levi told him.
“i’ll take you.” adam decided. “you don’t have to do that.” levi shook his head. “i want to.”adam kissed him on the cheek.
levi smiled, he’s never had someone care for him as much as adam does. and he’s grateful for adam. and he loves him so much.
from that day forward, adam was asking levi about his leg everyday
A summary of original characters that are featured in and originated from AU I've cowritten with @brothersapart's @nightmares06. The original Brothers Apart is a Supernatural g/t AU, and my contributions add in characters from the BBC's Sherlock.
Supernatural belongs to the CW, Sherlock to the BBC, adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, The Borrowers to Mary Norton, and these OCs to me!
Stan Baker - The Unexpected Good Boi
art by the wonderful @quackghost
Stan is playful, selfless, and protective. He cares deeply for others, especially his loved ones and those who cannot easily defend themselves. His combat experience and low-key paranoia give him excellent reflexes, and he's honestly a bit of a g/t nerd who doesn't have the context for that (def one of the most self-insert aspects of him). At the end of the day, he's just a big softie, in the 'looks like a cinnamon roll and is one but will kill you if necessary' way.
Though he wasn't the first OC of mine introduced in the Brothers Consulted story, "A Burglary at Baker Street", Stan stole my heart the second he hit the page. He was meant to be a plot device, never to be seen again, and he decided he deserves to be an actual character. Who was I to argue? I mean, lookit him! Complete and total charmer.
Unlike Zepheera, who is always my emotional support borrower, I can play around with Stan's Situations™️ a lot more freely. Oftentimes he's a human, like in Brothers Consulted. In AU like Brothers Chosen, he's a born and bred borrower. I've even got a size-shifter AU for him!
Mark and Anita Bend - Power Twins
art by quackghost
Mark and Anita are twins, and victims of terrible circumstance in Brothers Consulted. Mark is the heart of the pair, trusting and friendly and happy to make friends. His problem is he's not the most tactful, which is where his sister comes in; the self-established more thoughtful and responsible one. Anita is the brains, thinking everything through before acting.
The one thing they share perfectly is a strong devotion to and protectiveness for one another. They would do absolutely anything to keep the other out of danger. A fact that is easily exploited, unfortunately. They're all they've got in a world set against them.
Nathan Sullivan - Stan's Partner
Pride photo by the lovely @abookishweasel
Nate is the yang to Stan's yin. He keeps his excitable partner grounded, and rolls with all the incredible things that happen in their lives. Whether he's a teacher as a human or a curious drifter as a borrower, Nathan always has a deep love of learning and will do what he can to be in an environment where he can keep discovering new things. He's also a passionate home cook, and keeps Stan and their German shepherd Juno very happy at home.
Where there is Stan, there must also be a Nate. Like Stan, I love to play around with Nate's size and background from story to story. So far he's appeared as a human, though I've written one short with him as a borrower, in which he and a young Stan met as kiddos.
Stan's Brothers
Stan Baker is the youngest of five brothers, who basically raised him. They have yet to show up in proper BAU, but they've shown up more often in the size-shifter AU as they help their baby bro in distress.
The oldest, Simon, stepped up to lead the household when their parents were no longer in the picture. He worked hard to make sure his brothers could live the best lives possible, and couldn't be more proud of them all. He's incredibly chill and approaches everything with a calm and clear head. If Simon freaks out, you know it's all gone pear-shaped.
Dylan, the second oldest, holds the most fight in him apart from Stan. His scholastic track leaned towards the athletic, and he has the bigger temper of the bunch, especially when it comes to his loved ones being messed with. He taught his younger brothers how to hold their own in a fight when they were kids, and very nearly joined the British army as an adult before changing his mind.
Seamus Baker is the know-it-all middle child. He mellows out of them with age, but certainly had pedantic tendencies as a kid. Studies were a major aspect of his youth, as well as making sure his brothers were all keeping in some kind of order. He seems humorless compared to his boisterous brothers, but his funny bone is just harder to tickle.
And Levi is the one just older than Stan, a sweetheart who only wants everyone to get along. He's on the chill side of the spectrum, like Simon, but he's got too much energy to keep it up all the time. He's also the most creative of the brothers, and is most likely to end up with a career in the arts.
Adult Simon (left) and kid Levi (right) by the lovely @rainyday-deer
( Since there are quite a few versions of these characters, I'll default to their base adult forms ^^ )
🧠- What's your best memory with them? Worst?
Levi: "Gosh, I dunno. It's hard to narrow things down to just one memory, good or bad, y'know? I guess I always liked when we'd take trips out to Gran's cottage as kids. Stan and I would share a room, and we didn't usually have time to play and hang out just the two of us, so it was kinda nice."
Stan: "Oh, I've got one! After you landed your first big costume design gig, I came to see the show."
Levi: "...You came to 'Into the Woods'?"
Stan: "Opening night. Cried my eyes out. Sorry I didn't say anything 'til now, but I was incognito. The job was still fresh, and I was a bit--"
Both: "Paranoid..."
. . .
Stan: "I reckon the worst is probably when mum died."
Levi: "Yeah. Or when da' went away. We were just little kids."
Stan: "...You always did know how to cheer me up, though."
Pode-se dizer que o canadense vivia uma vida confortável, pais relativamente bons consigo, nascido em um país de primeiro mundo. Desistir de tudo não era uma resposta muito esperada quando se olha a situação de fora. Ao contrário, desistir de tudo era uma resposta burra. E foi assim que Levi se sentiu, largando todo o conforto e trancando a faculdade atual para seguir algo que chamava de hobby a semanas atrás.
Tinha o violão consigo desde que se entende como cidadão. As cordas eram dedilhadas dia sim dia não, algumas vezes era apenas para brincar, outras para escrever melodias. Essas que acumularam mais que seus trabalhos de engenharia mecânica. Às vezes escrevia músicas em uma tarde só, às vezes algo solto em post-its no meio dos cadernos da faculdade. O menino só tinha se dado conta de que aquilo era o que realmente queria quando, por um semestre inteiro, esqueceu da faculdade e focou em suas composições. Sendo nesse mesmo semestre que trancou a faculdade. Sem chance de voltar para cálculos ou até mesmo para a própria faculdade. A conclusão era que seu amor pela música sempre esteve ali.
O canadense chuta que passou mais tempo dentro de aviões do que na própria sala de aula da antiga faculdade. Além de sair de seu país, ele visitou seus vizinhos e não vizinhos. Seus pais não bancariam toda aquela maluquice, Levi via que estavam decepcionados mas também não o impediram de fazer nada. Pisar fora da bolha era difícil porém necessário, e não podia ser mais divertido. Aprendeu com pessoas de todos os continentes, o que lhe rendeu mais conhecimento que quatro anos de curso.
Voltar às origens, que nunca foram muito bem enraizadas em si, tinha um apelo como a falta de dinheiro. Seu avô materno não era muito ligado a si, e também nunca aceitou o fato da filha ter casado com um ocidental, porém era o único que conhecia em Mugunghwa. Algo como uma âncora no meio do continente asiático. Com o tempo passou a não depender do avô, conseguindo alguns bicos aqui e ali, um emprego estável o fez ter sua própria casa e conseguir, finalmente, usar tudo que aprendeu sobre música.
Yuri on Ice is reminding me of how much I love figure skating/ice skating in general (even though I can’t skate for crap haha). So I drew some of my characters :D
(fun fact: Tess is wearing one of my favorite winter outfits)
